A Worm in the Eyes of God
Broken Angel The wind was howling like a discordant choir of damned souls. Captain Teruo Akui was treading a decrepit road that led across a vast plain. He had the full Shinigami uniform on him, complete with the Captain's haori. His Zanpakutō was stored in its sheath at his right hip, waiting. The wind was blowing incessantly, and clouds of dark orange dust rose to the air to obscure the horizon. Noteworthy landmarks were few and far between. However, there were several black pillars looming above the shroud of ash, crooked and embellished with crude metal spikes that protruded from seemingly random places across their height. There were corpses hanging from the spikes, half-decayed and clad in tattered rags. Left and right. The wind blew with a piercing wail, and the lifeless limbs tilted to its rhythm. Teruo paid little attention to that. Instead, he focussed on the monumental if grim monastery he had been gradually approaching. The massive form of the building was pitch black, contrasting with the ghastly orange of the clouded sky. It was a tall building, dark and impressive, with twin towers rising above its bulk like two hands outstretched toward the sky in the dying moments. Akui continued onward, disregarding the torrential winds. He was calm, unswerving. Dauntless. He had a clear objective and nothing could distract him. At last, he reached the foot of the hill the monastery had been perched upon. He began climbing the stairs in a steady pace. The steps were ruined, marked with the scars of erosion. However, Teruo treaded in an even pace. The temple seemed to loom high above him, although mere moments later he was in front of its gate. He gazed upon the midnight blue façade. Lancet arches and circular adornments. Stained glass of the windows and sculptures flanking the main entrance, twin entities each standing on an opposite tip of a scale. Both of them blindfolded, an angel to the right and a devil to the left. Teruo lifted his left arm. Then, he pressed the thick wing of the gate with the palm. There was little effort in the motion, for the gate began opening with marginal resistance. Slowly but surely, the wings unfolded with a protracted creak. Thus, they let a wedge of orange light pierce the absolute darkness within, a pitch black abyss not unlike the void of deep space. Akui walked inside. Barely had he made a few steps within the temple, the massive door started closing on their own. Just a few seconds later the wings folded again, cutting the Captain off from the sombre outside world. There he was, a single man in the middle of nothingness. Nothing to be seen. Nothing to be heard. Just a limitless black expanse of extreme silence. However, he could still perceive his own body, as if a small amount of the orange glow had lingered, illuminating him timidly. The blackness was palpable, oppressive, stifling, but he continued forward. The sound of his footsteps was dampened to the point of being inaudible. He slid onward in a state nearing sensory deprivation, a solitary entity in the centre of nothing. Clank. "You have come, again." A disembodied voice. An utterance with no source, resounding across the area of no boundaries. Strong. Melancholy. Teruo stopped at last. He took a deep breath. Then, he let out the air off his chest in a measured manner. Focus. Composure. He casually put his hand on the hilt of his Zanpakutō. He had to be vigilant. "Afraid, of the others. Seeking refuge in a world such, desolated", the voice spoke again. Clank. The sound of chains being dragged across the bricks of the floor. The acoustics of the monastery's abysmal interior rendered the attempts to pinpoint a source impossible. The only thing that could be determined with a degree of certainty was that the proximity was rather close. Dangerously close. "You endeavour, to improve. To have the strength, to protect the others. The ones, you fear. But do you have, what it takes?" This time Teruo did not as much hear as feel the whizz of something approaching at high speed. There was no hesitation. His left arm swung to the side and the gently curved blade of his Zanpakutō emerged in a rapid slash that defended him from the ambush attack. There was a collision, clatter of metal, a brief flash that illuminated the shape of the entity who had addressed Akui moments ago. Too little, too fast to tell what that was. Silence. Teruo turned his head around. That was pointless. A logical reaction that had no place in such an unusual predicament. He could not see nor hear the entity. Regardless, the signature of its could be, in fact, perceived. Spread all over the black void it was not something that drew attention quickly. The sensation was... unpleasant. "Steadfast. Dauntless. Are you?", the voice reverberated momentarily until it faded away into the darkness. Suddenly, Akui turned to the right side. He grabbed the hilt of his katana with both hands and poised the blade at an angle. Mere moments later something clashed with the blade. The momentum of the strike caused him to slide backward a few inches, although the unknown attacker passed by. Teruo remained firm. "Can you bear, the pain?", the entity asked. Swoosh, not very loud but audible, preceding the attack. Akui held his Zanpakutō two-handed in front of his chest. The opponent collided heavily with the risen blade, pushing the Captain somewhat to the side. Whilst the entity passed by, Teruo felt a single streak of blood flowing gently from a cut on his cheek. "Remain calm, in the midst of turmoil?" Composure. He had to focus. His body was a weapon. His mind was a weapon. His soul was a weapon. He could feel the energy coursing through his veins, invigorating his body and clearing his mind. He closed his eyes, for sight was useless under those circumstances. There were other sense he could rely upon. Another strike. This time he deflected the enemy narrowly, but successfully. Silence. There was no further comment afterward. Just a period of tense waiting. And again, an attack. Faster, stronger. But Teruo blocked the stab with a swing of his Zanpakutō. The enemy kept changing the direction and even the faint sound of chains did not betray his position. He was voice, he was sound, he was an oppressive force with no body or identity. An enemy... Intervals between the attacks were decreasing significantly with each passing moment. Now, the entity was circling about Akui in a near-constant onslaught. The weapon kept clashing with his blade time and again, the clatter of sound emanating only to vanish into the impenetrable blackness. The assault was relentless, but Teruo did not yield. He was the eye of the cyclone, a man of unwavering composure in the middle of a vicious storm. Uzaihanketsu. Semi-meditating technique that allowed him to take full control of his body, mind and soul. All aspects of his existence were unified in a state of calm. His mind was clear, his breath measured, energy was coursing through his veins at an accelerated rate, invigorating the muscles. His efforts to defend from the unseen enemy ceased to require conscious thought in the strict sense. Despite the inability to perceive the strikes through conventional means, each block was quicker and more accurate. His very being was responding to the opponent, his defence against the offence. Ultimately, he had become so accustomed to the onslaught that his nigh-enlightened mind decided to take action. All of a sudden, rather than wait for another attack to defend from, Akui shifted his stance abruptly and swung his blade in a sideways slash. There was a brief moment of resistance. Then, a subtle change in the enemy's spiritual pressure, and no attack to follow up. Teruo had succeeded to wound the invisible enemy as he was performing his own manoeuvre. There were drops of blood at the tip of Akui's Zanpakutō. "Excellent", the voice remarked. Teruo opened his eyes. Just as he was able to see his own body illuminated by a faint orange glow, now he could perceive the "enemy" as well. A tall, humanoid entity, lean to the point of looking malnourished. However, his body was bones and muscle, sinewy with no excess fat to speak of. Ridden with violet blood vessels, the being's complexion was unhealthily pale. His garments consisted of a loincloth and mock shoes arranged from rags, leaving the rest of the sleek body exposed. Additionally, there were chains wrapped around the entity's torso and a brass gauntlet and vambrace on his right arm. The face was oblong, with shallow cheeks and a sharp nose. The hair was long, very long and unusually silver. The most striking features, however, were the hideous scar that marked the being's face horizontally, blinding him forever, and a pair of feathery wings emerging from its back. The left one was white, whilst the right one jet black. There was a visible cut on the right arm but for reasons unknown it was not bleeding. "You are strong", the broken angel spoke. "But why don't you, release your full power?" Akui gazed upon the opponent with his eyes slightly narrowed. "Only weaklings resort to their ultimate skills in the face of every enemy. I am strong. I decide what is necessary to defeat my foes. Nothing less, nothing more", he declared. "Very well", the entity replied with a nod. Then, he smiled. The right arm rose and the armoured fingers spread, revealing a colourless gem embedded in the palm of the gauntlet. Suddenly, the jewel shone with orange light. "Meihikari." The gem emitted a raspy sound and the glow burst forth, howling as it erupted toward Teruo in a fiery beam of dim orange light. However, with a single the Captain evaded to the side, unwilling to confront this power directly just yet. "Tenrai Gantō", he announced after rapidly changing his position. His left hand emanated a flash of light that subsided into a humming, pulsating aura. Subsequently, the shroud expanded to wrap around the entirety of his Zanpakutō's length. His angelic opponent frowned briefly in response to this development, unable to see but wholly capable of sensing the change in spiritual pressure. "Meihikari", the entity spoke in a sombre tone. Another burst of shrieking light escaped from the colourless gem. This time, though, Teruo did not retreat. Instead, he swung his energised katana in a broad slash that saw the opponent's technique cut and dispersed into harmless bits that quickly faded away. Undisturbed, his enemy began firing one beam after another in short order. Every single attack was blocked by the glowing blade. Kaizōdo. Resolution. Focus and tranquility. The ability to withstand the harshest of punishment with unnatural composure. Making the least effort required to prevail until there was an opportunity... to strike! All of a sudden, Akui vanished with the faint sound of Shunpo. Right afterward he was beside his opponent, performing an abrupt slash as the latter was firing a beam of ghastly light. The tip of the sword carved a long, yet shallow wound upon the exposed arm, crossing the former one. The broken angel reacted quickly and evaded the next attack. Then, the blade clashed with the brass vambrace. And again. And again. Just like that, at one moment he was maintaining an assault, the next moment he was the one who was being assaulted. Teruo was relentless, swinging his empowered Zanpakutō madly in a swirling tempest, pressing the enemy incessantly. Circling about him he avoided a completely direct approach, choosing to remain at the very borders of effective range to put his defences to a test. "You know, the risk", the being whispered in the middle of a heated exchange of blows. "So, why didn't you evade?" Then, he saw a brief opening and thrust the armoured hand with all fingers outstretched and kept together, like the tip of a blade, to target a specific spot on the edge of Akui's Zanpakutō. Clash. Subsequently, the two jumped away from each other. Teruo took a deep breath. He assumed an opening stance, preparing himself for whatever was about to come. Suddenly, the aura of compressed Reiatsu around his katana receded. The faintest shrill sound could be heard when a small crack appeared on the cutting edge of the Zanpakutō. "The price for carelessness, is dire", remarked the broken angel. Akui closed his eyes, slowly. Even though perspiring due to the exertion, he was breathing in a very measured manner. Calm. "This is not carelessness. I shall never withdraw in the face of a true challenge. Even if it means grevious harm I shall keep true to my values and pursue my goals. My conviction is my strength. I shall never falter. Never again." The cracked blade of his Zanpakutō began vibrating gently. The shroud of spiritual pressure grew stronger as if the katana was set ablaze. In a matter of moments the fracture shone faintly only to vanish without a trace. The Zanpakutō was restored. "I see", said the winged entity with a grim face expression. "But I wonder. How strong, is your resolve? When does it break?" That was the only thing that preceded the subsequent charge. Rapid sally with the armoured hand thrust forward in a potential killing blow. However, Teruo deflected the strike to the side whilst shifting his stance, then scraped the very tip of his Zanpakutō against the enemy's face. The broken angel passed by. And then, rather unexpectedly, it spread its white right wing. Akui immediately tried to push it back. Regardless, the entity used that brief lapse in his stance to manoeuvre behind him. Teruo turned around quickly with his blade raised in a defensive position. Then, he faced the armoured palm and the colourless gem embedded in its centre, aimed directly at him. "Seijōki." Akui widened his eyes. What erupted from the jewel was not a beam of ghastly light, but fire. Howling like a choir of madmen the dim orange flames with amethyst outlines burst forth to consume him whole, enveloping his entire body after passing by the energised blade of his Zanpakutō. He stumbled backward, and the broken angel gazed upon him in silence. The flames were cold. They were not burning. No. At the beginning, their effects were negligible. However, with time their influence was growing stronger; the body started shaking and perspiring, the flow of energy was disturbed, the mind clouded and the resolve... resolve... "When does it break?", asked the winged being. "Never", replied Teruo. The flames were shining bright, torrential, wreathing around his body in a howling tempest of madness. Unperturbed, Akui regained a proper stance. For a while, the only audible sound was the shrill voice of the nightmarish fire. Suddenly, they were quenched in a single radiating pulse of powerful spiritual pressure that emanated from Teruo's body. The broken angel swayed in its wake. Then, the Reiatsu manifested in all of its imposing magnitude. The monastery started shaking in its foundations. Akui stood strong, whilst the winged entity slanted and fell to its knees, subdued by the dominating presence of its... "I am Teruo Akui, Captain of the Third Division of Gotei 13. I have failed tragically once in my life, but nevermore. I shall never yield", Akui proclaimed with solemnity. "Indeed", the broken angel agreed, using its hands to support himself under the overwhelming spiritual pressure. "I am you." "You are me", replied Teruo. "We are one", the two said at the same time. Holding the hilt of his sword with both hands Akui swung the blade downward and stabbed the cracked floor with the tip of its blade. The condensed Reiatsu spread through the cracks, illuminating him from underneath his feet. "Corrupt, Giji Kyūseishu." The Zanpakutō glowed. Its shape changed swiftly, the blade shortening and expanding to form an armoured gauntlet and a vambrace upon Teruo's left arm. The Captain lifted his Shikai, exposing the colourless gem embedded in the palm. An exact copy, if mirrored, of the one that his "opponent" wielded. "Come", Teruo said. All of a sudden, the broken angel known as Giji Kyūseishu sprang forward. With a loud whizz the two armoured gauntlets sped toward one another to collide with great force. Daily Hardships Category:Fanfiction